1. Suits brought in forma pauperis are governed by 28 U.S.C. §

1915.

1

 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA

DEREK C. DARDEN : CIVIL ACTION

:

v. :

:

DIRECTOR, HARRIS GUBERNIK : NO. 05-2823

M E M O R A N D U M A N D O R D E R

Plaintiff, a prisoner at the Bucks County Community

Corrections Center, seeks to bring a civil action in forma

pauperis,

1 without prepayment of fees or security therefor,

asserting claims pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The Prison

Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Pub. L. No. 104-134, 110 Stat.

1321 (April 26, 1996) (the "Act"), which amends 28 U.S.C. § 1915,

establishes certain financial requirements for prisoners who are

attempting to bring a civil action or file an appeal in forma

pauperis. 

Under the Act, a prisoner bringing a civil action in

forma pauperis must pay the full amount of the $250 filing fee.

28 U.S.C. § 1915(b)(1). The prisoner must submit a certified

copy of his inmate trust fund account statement for the 6-month

period immediately preceding the filing of his complaint so the

Court can determine how the $250 filing fee will be paid. 28

U.S.C. § 1915(a)(2). The prisoner must obtain this statement

from the appropriate official of each prison at which he was or

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is confined. Id. The Court must then "assess [the prisoner's

financial status] and, when funds exist, collect, as a partial

payment of any court fees required by law, an initial partial

filing fee of 20 percent of the greater of-- (A) the average

monthly deposits to the prisoner's account; or (B) the average

monthly balance in the prisoner's account for the 6-month period

immediately preceding the filing of the complaint . . . ." 

Based on financial information provided by the Bucks

County Department of Corrections, an initial partial filing fee

will not be assessed. However, each time that the balance in the

plaintiff's inmate trust account exceeds $10, an amount no

greater than 20 percent of the money credited to the plaintiff's

account during the preceding month will be deducted and forwarded

to the Clerk of Court until the filing fee is paid. 28 U.S.C. §

1915(b)(2). 

Plaintiff may not have known when he brought this 

action that he must pay the filing fee, and that even if the full

filing fee, or any part of it, has been paid, the Court must

dismiss the case if it finds that the action is: (1) frivolous or

malicious; (2) fails to state a claim upon which relief may be

granted; or (3) seeks monetary relief against a defendant who is

immune from such relief. 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B). If the

Court dismisses the case for any of these reasons, the prisoner

will not get his filing fee back. 

We shall give the plaintiff twenty (20) days from the

date of this order to decide whether he wants to proceed with

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this case. If by that time, the plaintiff decides not to proceed

with the case, he need not pay the $250 filing fee.

For the foregoing reasons, it is, this day of 

June, 2005, hereby ORDERED that:

1. The petition is DENIED WITHOUT PREJUDICE to its

reassertion in accordance with the terms of this order; 

2. If the plaintiff files with the Court within

twenty (20) days from the date of this order a notice that he

wishes to proceed with this action and thereby obligate himself

to pay the $250 filing fee, this action will be reinstated; and

3. The Clerk of Court shall CLOSE this case

statistically. 

BY THE COURT:

/S/ WILLIAM H. YOHN, JR.

 

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